Since ancient times, vines have covered most of the hillsides around Château Chalon. Their high quality wines were so appreciated by the Romans (including Pliny the Younger and Martial) that an edict from the Emperor Probus in the year 280, declared that many more vines should be planted on the favourable hillsides of Sequanie (the ancient name for the Franche Comte).

The history of the vineyards and the wine of Château Chalon, is indivisible from that of the Abbey that crowns the famous hilltop. The oldest reference yet found to the abbey is a deed from King Lothaire in the year 869. The abbesses had to prove noble birth for at least four generations to be admitted to the abbey, and this helps explain the renown of the wine of Château Chalon amongst noble and royal families throughout Europe. This wine was appreciated by kings and emperors - Henri IV famously drank two bottles when signing his treaty with the Duke of Mayenne, and it was drunk at the enthronement of Tsar Nicholas II.

1895: Hot, dry year. Grapes harvested from October 14. Small harvest, the last before phylloxera. Exceptional year.

A very rare bottle from this great estate.1929 was one of the three or four greatest vintages of the 20th century in the Jura.

SOLD.

It was the Emperor Napoleon who, when sharing a drink at Schloss Johannisberg with the Prince de Metternich, declared "Here, you serve the best wine in the world". "Sire," replied the Prince "the best wine in the world is not from Johannisberg, but it is found in a small town in your empire, at Château Chalon".

Château Chalon, in great vintages seemingly immortal, has nonetheless had a tumultuous past, and the flickering flame of its renown has come close to being extinguished on several occasions. The French Revolution dispersed the abbey vineyards, then various diseases of the vine - mildew, oidium and above all the devastating phylloxera plague in the late 1880's - meant that the entire vineyard, including vine stocks many hundreds of years old, had to be replaced.

In the more recent past, two World Wars and ongoing rural depopulation led to the further decimation of the vineyards, which only survived due to the will and sheer obstinacy of a handful of winemakers and their wish to see their appellation recognised. This finally happened in 1936.

Terroir and viticulture:

Château Chalon, like all great wines, is the product of a unique terroir. Situated between 250 and 400 metres above sea-level, the vineyard soils are a blue and gray limestone marl further augmented by limestone outcrops that form the higher cliffs. These in turn help warm the micro climate, which enables the grapes to ripen fully. The slopes are orientated South to South-West, which gives the best exposure to sun, and the optimum protection from wind. In particular, the limestone cliffs that dominate these vineyards protect the vines from the prevalent northerly and easterly winds, allowing this vineyard area to retains its warmth long after the surrounding areas have cooled down.

The vines are all planted on slopes, some very steep, reaching up to 45%. This has made it necessary for the winemakers to develop certain skills, for example; working with tracked vehicles, replacing soil that has washed down the slopes, building terraces, etc. A land tax adjustment which was introduced in 1977 has brought a lot of additional improvements by channelling water and facilitating the construction of better access tracks to the vine parcels.

The only grape variety used to make Château Chalon, along with all Vin Jaune, is the Savagnin, which amongst other names used to be called "Le Naturé" or "Fromentin". Its origin is mysterious. From a botanical point of view, it is closely related to the Klevener d'Heiligenstein grape which is cultivated in Alsace and is part of the Traminer family. Legend has it that the grape variety is Hungarian in origin, or perhaps Spanish, but there is no firm evidence for these claims. Historic documents suggest that savagnin was already being cultivated in the 13th century. It is characterized by an upright habit, crinkled leaves with a downy underside, small pips and a thick skin which allows late ripening and is well resistant to rot.

The savagnin is harvested in October, usually two weeks after the chardonnay. The grapes are picked by hand, crushed and then pressed, the juice drawn off and fermented. At the end of fermentation, the wine is put into oak barrels for a minimum period of six years and three months (bit sometimes as long as 10 years). The barrels of 228 litres are then put into cellars characterised by their dry atmosphere and a noticeable temperature difference between summer and winter. During this time, the barrels are never topped up to compensate for the evaporation or "angels share" that is lost, as is the practice in Burgundy and almost all other winemaking areas. The wine develops a layer or "voile" of flor yeast on the surface, which works away in the darkness of the cellars to produce its own unique character, and to make it one of the great wines of France.

The Château Chalon wines of Caves Jean Bourdy.

Caves Bourdy are the oldest producer in the region, with a direct family line going back to the 16th century. Their cellars contain the oldest collection of vintage Château Chalon and Cotes du Jura in existence, with some wines going back to the 19th and even 18th century. We work exclusively with Jean-Francois Bourdy to occasionally make limited numbers of these irreplaceable old vintages available to discerning collectors. All wines come direct from Bourdy's cellar to our own, and so are in perfect mint condition.

Historic Vintage Guide to Château Chalon and Vin Jaune 1895 - 1959

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